By Kyle Luetters
WEST LEBANON, N.Y. — July 24, 2011 — Craig Dollansky continues streaking up the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series standings, winning for the series-leading sixth time this year on Sunday night at Lebanon Valley Speedway.
After a rough start to the season when finishes did not equal the strength of his car or team, Dollansky has turned up the heat this summer in the Big Game Treestands Maxim. On Sunday night, with a little bit of help from a single-file restart with eight laps to go, Dollansky was able to get around leader Kerry Madsen and hold off Jason Meyers to the checkered flag. Steve Kinser was third with Madsen and Daryn Pittman rounding out the top five.
“Once again what an effort by everyone here on this team,” said Dollansky, of Elk River, Minn. “We ran a little harder compound (tire) than everyone else did tonight and the tires started to come in real good by the time we were up there battling Kerry (Madsen.) Unfortunately, Kerry got up in the cushion and that slowed him a bit but we were able to get by.”
Meyers, who won at Williams Grove on Saturday night, was the night’s fastest qualifier and tried to use his momentum for back-to-back victories. Like Dollansky, Meyers also made his way around Madsen when the Aussie bobbled on the cushion and was hunting Dollansky down when a yellow flag flew with eight to go. With the field bunched up for a double-file restart, Dollansky selected the outside line with Meyers to the inside. As soon as the green flag flew, Meyers took off like a rocket while Dollansky’s car hesitated and then took off.
“I spun the tires a bit on the restart and that allowed Jason to get around us and take off,” Dollansky said.
However, another caution flag was displayed before the field completed a lap and Dollansky’s car was sent back around Meyers to the lead. According to World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series rules, since the caution flag was prior to a completing a lap the field reverts to a single-file restart and to the running order of the last completed lap. Once the green flew again, Dollansky blasted away from the field and scored the checkers.
While he didn’t get the win, Meyers had a huge points night. His quick time combined with a runner-up finish enabled Meyers, of Clovis, Calif., to regain the series lead from four-time champion Donny Schatz. Trailing by 1 point entering the night, Meyers leaves Lebanon Valley with an 18-point lead over Schatz, who finished ninth.
“It’s always great to get the points lead back,” said Meyers, driver of the #14 DDNi/GLR Investments/Allstar Performance KPC. “It’s going to be a close battle all year long with Steve (Kinser) and Donny to see whose going to win this thing.”
Kinser finished third in the Bass Pro Shops/J.D. Byrider/Chevrolet Maxim after battling hard with pole-sitter Madsen in the closing laps. All three Kasey Kahne Racing machines finished in the Top 10 with Cody Darrah leading the charge in sixth. Darrah, of Red Lion, Pa., sat on the outside pole for the event and was followed in the finish by veteran Paul McMahan and Brad Sweet, who continues to fill in for injured Joey Saldana in the Red Bull Maxim
The Outlaws next head north of the border for three races in Canada beginning on Wednesday at Oshweken Speedway followed on Friday at Brockville-Ontario Speedway and Saturday Autodrome Drummond.
LEBANON VALLEY SPEEDWAY NOTEBOOK
QUICK TIME – Jason Meyers was the night’s fastest qualifier with a lap around the half-mile oval in 16.588 seconds, earning five championship points. Cody Darrah, Steve Kinser, Daryn Pittman and Craig Dollansky also earned qualifying points. It marked Meyers’ fourth Quick Time of the season.
WINNERS – There have been 36 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature events in 2011. The winners include: Craig Dollansky – 6 (Silver Dollar Speedway on March 12, Salina Highbanks Speedway on May 3, River Cities Speedway on June 17 and 18, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 1, Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 24); Steve Kinser – 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 11 and 12, Pike County Raceway on Feb. 25, the Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4, Lakeside Speedway on June 4); Sammy Swindell – 4 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 26, Merced Speedway on April 1, Tri-State Speedway on April 30, Knoxville Raceway on June 11); Joey Saldana – 4 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 3, Thunderbowl Raceway on March 19, Eldora Speedway on May 6, Beaver Dam Raceway on July 9); Jason Sides – 4 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Calistoga Speedway on April 2, I-96 Speedway on May 30, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 2); Donny Schatz – 3 (Attica Raceway Park on May 20, Princeton Speedway on June 25, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 13); Paul McMahan – 2 (the Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 28, Belleville Highbanks on June 3); Jason Meyers – 2 (Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8, Williams Grove Speedway on July 23); Tim Shaffer – 2 (Eldora Speedway on July 15, Lernerville Speedway on July 19); Dale Blaney – 1 (Lernerville Speedway on July 19); Greg Hodnett – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on July 22); Daryn Pittman – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 13); Tyler Walker – 1 (Eldora Speedway on July 16.)
NEW ONLINE HOME – Make sure to check out the all-new WorldofOutlaws.com for the latest news and results, plus exclusive driver interviews, video and pictures. Also listen to every event live at DIRTVision.com .
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Lebanon Valley Speedway; West Lebanon Valley, N.Y.; July 24, 2011
A-Main — (25 Laps) — 1. 7-Craig Dollansky [2] [$10,000]; 2. 14-Jason Meyers [6] [$5,500]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [4] [$3,200]; 4. 92-Kerry Madsen [1] [$2,800]; 5. 27-Daryn Pittman [3] [$2,500]; 6. 91-Cody Darrah [5] [$2,300]; 7. 83-Paul McMahan [7] [$2,200]; 8. 9-Brad Sweet [8] [$2,100]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz [12] [$2,050]; 10. 63-Chad Kemenah [9] [$2,000]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [13] [$1,500]; 12. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [16] [$1,200]; 13. 6-Kraig Kinser [15] [$1,100]; 14. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [10] [$1,050]; 15. 6X-Mark Cole [19] [$1,000]; 16. 90-Matt Tanner [20] [$900]; 17. 1-Sammy Swindell [11] [$800]; 18. 6R-Bill Rose [14] [$800]; 19. 15C-Anthony Cain [17] [$800]; 20. X2-Curt Bradshaw [22] [$800]; 21. 27J-Jami Russell [24] [$800]; 22. 29-Dick Spadaro [21] [$800]; 23. 25-John Smith III [18] [$800]; 24. 3A-Josh Pieiensek [23] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Kerry Madsen 1-16, Craig Dollansky 17-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 14-Jason Meyers [+4].
Qualifying — 1. 14-Jason Meyers, 16.588; 2. 91-Cody Darrah, 16.710; 3. 11-Steve Kinser, 16.717; 4. 27-Daryn Pittman, 16.749; 5. 7-Craig Dollansky, 16.775; 6. 1-Sammy Swindell, 16.785; 7. 92-Kerry Madsen, 16.833; 8. 9-Brad Sweet, 16.851; 9. 83-Paul McMahan, 16.855; 10. 63-Chad Kemenah, 16.889; 11. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 16.949; 12. 15-Donny Schatz, 17.044; 13. 7S-Jason Sides, 17.054; 14. 6R-Bill Rose, 17.059; 15. 6-Kraig Kinser, 17.272; 16. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 17.453; 17. 15C-Anthony Cain, 18.480; 18. 25-John Smith III, 18.956; 19. 6X-Mark Cole, 19.024; 20. 90-Matt Tanner, 19.138; 21. 29-Dick Spadaro, 20.136; 22. X2-Curt Bradshaw, 20.615; 23. 3A-Josh Pieiensek, 20.640; 24. 27J-Jami Russell, 20.650; 25. 65-Russ Bennett, 20.656.
Heat 1 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 92-Kerry Madsen [2]; 2. 14-Jason Meyers [4]; 3. 63-Chad Kemenah [1]; 4. 27-Daryn Pittman [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 6. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [6]; 7. 6X-Mark Cole [7]; 8. 65-Russ Bennett [9]; 9. X2-Curt Bradshaw [8].
Heat 2 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 9-Brad Sweet [2]; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [1]; 3. 91-Cody Darrah [4]; 4. 7-Craig Dollansky [3]; 5. 6R-Bill Rose [5]; 6. 15C-Anthony Cain [6]; 7. 90-Matt Tanner [7]; 8. 3A-Josh Pieiensek [8].
Heat 3 — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 83-Paul McMahan [2]; 2. 11-Steve Kinser [4]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [1]; 4. 6-Kraig Kinser [5]; 5. 25-John Smith III [6]; 6. 29-Dick Spadaro [7]; 7. 27J-Jami Russell [8]; 8. 1-Sammy Swindell [3].
Dash — (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature — 1. 92-Kerry Madsen [1]; 2. 7-Craig Dollansky [2]; 3. 27-Daryn Pittman [3]; 4. 11-Steve Kinser [4]; 5. 91-Cody Darrah [5]; 6. 14-Jason Meyers [6]; 7. 83-Paul McMahan [8]; 8. 9-Brad Sweet [7]; 9. 63-Chad Kemenah [9]; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [10].
B-Main — (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) — 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [1] [-]; 2. 90-Matt Tanner [3] [-]; 3. 3A-Josh Pieiensek [5] [-]; 4. 27J-Jami Russell [6] [-]; 5. 6X-Mark Cole [2] [-]; 6. X2-Curt Bradshaw [4] [-]; 7. 65-Russ Bennett [7] [$200].
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Championship Standings, through Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 24, 2011
Pos.
Driver
Total
Diff
W
T5
T10
QT
1.
Jason Meyers
4787
2
20
29
4
2.
Donny Schatz
4769
-18
3
16
28
2
3.
Steve Kinser
4729
-58
5
16
27
1
4.
Craig Dollansky
4681
-106
6
16
24
1
5.
Jason Sides
4601
-186
4
13
23
3
6.
Paul McMahan
4569
-218
2
9
22
8
7.
Joey Saldana
4503
-284
4
16
23
5
8.
Sammy Swindell
4321
-466
4
14
20
4
9.
Cody Darrah
4283
-504
0
5
12
0
10.
Lucas Wolfe
4223
-564
0
1
11
0
11.
Chad Kemenah
4212
-575
0
2
9
3
12.
Kraig Kinser
4140
-647
0
2
10
0
13.
Bill Rose
3821
-966
0
1
2
0
14.
Kerry Madsen
2970
-1817
0
3
10
0
15.
Ben Gregg
2648
-2139
0
1
1
0
16.
Brad Sweet
2254
-2533
0
3
8
1
17.
Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1740
-3047
0
3
7
0
18.
Daryn Pittman
1597
-3190
1
4
6
0
19.
Lance Dewease
1367
-3420
0
0
3
0
20.
Stevie Smith
1301
-3486
0
2
3
1